little people

American  

[lit-l pee-puhl] / ˈlɪt l ˌpi pəl /

plural noun

1. (in folklore) small, imaginary beings, as elves, fairies, or leprechauns.

2. the common people, especially workers, small merchants, or the like, who lead conventional, presumably unremarkable lives.

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little people British  

plural noun

1. folklore small supernatural beings, such as elves, pixies, or leprechauns

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Etymology

Origin of little people

First recorded in 1720–30

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

little people

"What can we do? We're the little people, we can't do anything but hope that the government will handle it," Melsi said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

The obvious question he did not answer was this: What did he need us little people for?

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

What’s most disturbing is how little people seem to care.

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026

One way to understand how little people thought of these teams’ chances before the start of the season is through their preseason odds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025

“I asked the alethiometer,” she told him, “and it said we shouldn’t try and escape from the little people, because they were going to save our lives. So maybe we’re stuck with ’em.”

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

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